THE delights of Darlington town centre are to be featured in a series of short television programmes over Christmas.

The series, called Discover Darlington, launches on the evening of Thursday, December 8, on a local Freeview channel, and has been made by the council to showcase how its beginning to spend the £23.3m allocated to it by the Government in 2021 from the Towns Fund.

Ten three minute films have been made and, fronted by The Northern Echo’s Chris Lloyd, they delve into some of the historical secrets of the areas which are having Towns Fund money spent on their restoration.

Chris said: “It was a real thrill to be able to work on these films and present Darlington in a positive light.

“In various scenes, we peer into the cobwebs inside Edward Pease’s house on Northgate and talk about railways, we visit the corner which has been The Northern Echo’s home for 150 years and is about to be transformed, and we take a wander through the yards, admiring the hanging baskets while enjoying an Italian ice cream and searching for the site of the town’s most notorious brothel.”

The Northern Echo: Chris Lloyd filming one of the Discover Darlington episodes in front of Edward Pease's former house, which is now a pizza parlour, in Northgate

Chris Lloyd filming one of the Discover Darlington episodes in front of Edward Pease's former house, which is now a pizza parlour, in Northgate

There has been a special viewing of the films in the Vue cinema, and the first one appears on the Local TV channel tomorrow, Thursday 8, at 6.15pm. It is on Freeview channel 7, Sky 107 and Virgin channel 159. It will be repeated throughout the week with a new episode dropping each Thursday at 6.15pm.

The full series will also be available on You Tube.

Many local people feature in the films, talking about how the Towns Fund money is being spent in Skinnergate and the yards, and also on Northgate and the Railway Heritage Quarter in the run-up to the 2025 bicentenary of the railways.

Darlington was one of the first towns in the country to successfully bid for Towns Fund money which is part of the Government’s levelling up drive.

The Northern Echo: Chris Lloyd talking to Darlington council leader Jonathan Dulston on High Row for the Discover Darlington films

Chris Lloyd talking to Darlington council leader Jonathan Dulston on High Row for the Discover Darlington films

Councillor Jonathan Dulston, leader of the council, and a contributor to Discover Darlington, said: “I love to talk about Darlington and tell as many people as possible about our great town and the exciting plans we have for the Towns Fund, so this television programme is a great way to spread the word.

“We have so much history on our doorstep and it’s been great to see the stories unfold on the screen. I hope everyone watches and takes the chance to find out more about the Towns Fund and what’s coming up.”